Slowly Blooming
by FairyTaleFancy
Summary: A collection of oneshots and prompts from my tumblr over the last few years, canon and AU, featuring the main cast.
1. Contagious

I've been an avid consumer of RK fanfic since 2004 but have written very few fics for the series myself. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

This is a collection of the short ones I've managed to write, posted first on my tumblr, mainly for RKweeks over the last couple years.

* * *

 **Contagious [SanoMeg, AU, humor] [written just because, 7/12/13]**

"You did WHAT?!" Megumi screamed. Sano cringed.

"Look," he started, "it wasn't really my idea. Katsu was the one who –"

"So instead of being the idiot mastermind, you're the idiot sidekick," she snarled, "You are NOT helping yourself!"

He flinched, realizing the truth in her words, but it was too late now, he might as well keep going.

"It didn't start off that bad! Really!" he said at her incredulous look. "We just wanted to see if mattresses make better sleds than plastic ones. You have to admit, the idea is sound. Softer, bigger, but a bit harder to carry around," he admitted. Her deadpan look said he was just digging deeper with every word but he trudged ahead. "So logic dictates that the bigger the mattress, the better the ride."

"Oh good, I'm so glad logic entered into this equation somewhere," she drawled.

"Um, yeah," he muttered, "so we compared bed sizes, 'cause why buy a brand new mattress when we, er, _somebody_ , has a perfectly good one at home…" Her silence made him clear his throat and continue. "So we discovered I, we, have the biggest one, a king, so we got it downstairs, put it in the truck and drove to the hill and…" He trailed off.

"And now," Megumi calmly picked up, "it is at the bottom of a river. Tonight, I am sleeping on the couch. You are outside, just in case your stupidity is contagious."


	2. Footsteps

_I grew up with six, later seven, and now eight people under the same roof. You learn to distinguish who's awake, who's angry, who's sneaking around, only by the sound of their footsteps. It's a good skill to have._

* * *

 **"Footsteps" [Kaorugumi, family, canon] [written for RK Week 2014]**

The day after Kaoru's father left for war, she didn't wake up till mid-morning. His customary kitchen-bound footsteps, her normal wake-up call, were missing and she paused in her rush to prepare for class after recognizing what that absence meant. Her home was oppressively quiet and she wondered why her father wanted such a large house to hold so small a family. On the day weeks later when the stern footsteps and sharp knock of the somberly-dressed military official shattered the peace, she was grateful for the rain to mask the quiet and her tears.

The weeks Kihei spent shuffling around her family's home broke the silence even as the noise in the dojo dwindled. After he and his brother were arrested, Kaoru spent hours scrubbing the floors to get rid of the filth he brought into her father's house and wondering if it would ever come clean.

Her new tenant, one Himura Kenshin, once Hitokiri Battousai, she watched carefully, for a number of reasons. She thought a legendary assassin would step lighter, and leave less of an echo. His footsteps were the last she heard falling asleep and the first she heard upon waking. She thought a lot of things about Kenshin early on, though the idea he purposefully made a little more noise when he walked to remind her that she was no longer alone never crossed her mind.

If Kenshin made more noise than he should, Yahiko made less. Her only student's foul mouth and ugly taunts disappeared when he believed himself out of earshot of his teacher and his idol. His walk became quieter, hesitant, almost as if drawing attention to himself would invite disaster. If he could not be seen, then he would not be heard; then they would not regret the decision to let a scrawny pickpocket in their home, and he might stay in this strange but safe place a little longer.

Sano's steps were strong and sturdy, much like the fighter himself, and often heard at hours Kaoru did not care to particularly hear them. He never remembered to take off his shoes and his appetite was a constant threat to her pantry. But despite the dust he raised in his wake, she began to anticipate the creak of the back gate because though Sano's arrival meant chaos, it also meant new stories and an abundance of laughter.

Megumi took soft, carefully-measured steps and they vibrated in Kaoru's mind to match a different cultured woman who walked the same halls before Death took her to walk in another world. But there were times when those lady-like feet fell a little more forcefully and Kaoru learned to tell when someone (sometimes herself, occasionally Kenshin, usually Sano) had disobeyed the doctor's orders for the last time.

Kaoru learned the hard way that ninja made for interesting house-guests. Misao's feet spent more time in the air than on the ground, and Aoshi's presence was inaudible. Once Kaoru learned to step cautiously around corners and brace herself before opening doors, her floors didn't suffer any more spilled tea and her neighbors appreciated the decrease of surprised shrieks.

The days rolled together, and some footsteps disappeared, while others grew more confident and new ones were added. It wasn't long before Kaoru stopped hearing Kenshin's footsteps in the morning because she was a late sleeper and he never left their bed before she did. At least until their son was old enough to race giggling through the halls at the first light of dawn; then Kaoru kicked her husband out to stumble after the latest addition to her family.

And when Kenji's little brother and sister joined him later on, and Yahiko and Tsubame brought over Shinya, and there were visits from Anzu and Kyoto, and uniform shouts rang out from the dojo, and the house was full of soft steps and quick steps, loud steps and heavy steps and and though there were days Kaoru was sure she would go mad from the noise, she knew what her father wanted when he built the house all those years ago.


	3. Slowly Blooming

_I put this out for WoRKW15, but I'd started writing it in 2013 after the first movie came out. Totally on par for my writing process, eergggghhhhh._

 _I admit all my knowledge of gardening comes from_ _ _years of_ playing 'Harvest Moon.'_

* * *

 **"Slowly Blooming" [Kaoru, Yahiko, general, live-action universe] [written for Women of RK Week 2015]**

Kaoru frowned at the garden.

A week ago, there were two daikon radishes missing. Barely two weeks before, it was a handful of beans. This time, an entire cabbage had disappeared. There were no tracks, or needless waste; none of the surrounding vegetables had teeth marks or unnecessary disturbance. Animals did not do this.

It was human theft, carefully done, with a little here, a little there.

If Kaoru did not have to rely on the garden as an important source of food, she may not have noticed.

Her frown deepened. No, she would have noticed regardless. Her mother planted that garden, and her father lovingly attended it up until the morning he left forever. He wisely chose to leave his only child a source of food that did not require much preparation before eating. She told him she was always destined to fail at cooking, not when his teachings forbade her to hold anything sharper than a wooden sword.

Kaoru shook her head to clear the booming laughter still ringing in her ears.

* * *

The first night of her stakeout yielded nothing except too many yawns and a sore back. She gave up at the first light of dawn and caught a few hours of sleep before her mid-morning class.

The second, third, and fourth nights held no surprises either. The late hours wore on her demeanor and she fought against snapping at her students. She briefly considered abandoning her late nights, but her irritation (and curiosity) had grown too strong.

The fifth night of her stakeout, Kaoru saw the thief.

She sat in the room overlooking the garden, the door open just wide enough to let her peek out. Around midnight, the tree next to the fence rustled. Kaoru sat up straighter and peered intently through the crack. After a few moments, she saw a small shadow move down the tree and crouch by the roots. It stood cautiously and crept toward the garden. The cold moonlight shone over the tree and she saw the intruder.

'A child.' Kaoru thought.

Her anger at a faceless thief faded as she took in the appearance of a boy, scrawny and underfed, with wild hair and filthy clothes.

When he reached for the spring onions, she quietly slid the door open and said,

"I wouldn't. They're not ripe yet."

The small shadow yelped and spun towards her voice.

"If you come back in a few weeks, they should be good then," she said, walking towards the frozen boy, "you should take some beans, there were a lot this year."

The boy stared at her for a moment before narrowing his eyes and shifting into a defensive stance.

"A son of samurai doesn't need your charity!" he snarled.

Kaoru frowned. "So stealing is okay, but charity is not?" she remarked. The boy scowled.

She raised her sword to rest on her shoulder and did not fail to notice his defensive flinch at the sudden movement.

"Listen brat, there's really nothing stopping me from turning you in for theft," She tapped the weapon against herself. "But we can come to an arrangement. I need a helper to prepare the training hall before the classes arrive. Clearing snow off the path, lighting the heaters, bringing water, those kinds of things. If you're good, I might even let you watch a class."

The boy snorted, "I've seen your school, you have what, five students? How good can you be?"

Kaoru bristled and firmly corrected, "Actually, I have ten. And times are tough."

A week ago, she had a dozen. A month ago, she had 16. Before her father left, they had 20 regular students. The school had always been small but close-knit. Her father's death was unexpected and it was clear some students did not wish to continue learning under a young assistant master.

"Why don't you reserve your judgment until after you see what we have to offer?"

The boy snorted. "Whatever. I'll… help with some stuff. No promises about swords."

* * *

The Western New Year came and went, and there were suddenly more pressing matters than disappearing produce and bratty orphans.

Whispers of a Bakumatsu ghost using a local style, Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, spread like wildfire.

There were dark glances and halted conversations when Kaoru moved through the market. It was almost as painful as the pitying gazes of her well-meaning neighbors.

But ghosts do not leave corpses in their wake, nor did killers practice a sword style that condemns the spilling of blood. Despite Kaoru's heated denials, few believed her school's innocence and the repercussions came swiftly.

Ryosuke, Yuudai, and Hideki turned up one day to loudly announce they would no longer be attending her classes, that being taught by a woman was beneath them. Kaoru, though she was loathe to lose more students, and knew that was not the true reason for their withdrawal, was glad to see them go.

"They are the sons of samurai," Kaoru explained to the boy, Yahiko, as he broke the ice on the well one morning, "but they always acted as if everyone was beneath them. They believe their strength and worth is in their lineage, not in how they put it to use."

But neither Natsuko nor Nobu came to class a month later, and when she approached Tarou in the market, he paled and ran from her.

"People are scared," she told Yahiko while scrubbing the dojo's floors, "and people who are scared tend to run, even away from something that might keep them safe."

Takashi knocked on the outer gate early one morning to quietly explain that if he knew Kamiya Kasshin had been used to kill people, he would have never set foot inside the dojo. He put his training uniform and sword in the road by her feet and left.

"It may seem odd to some to use a sword-style designed to protect life, rather than take it," Kaoru said to Yahiko over a cold meal of vegetables and rice, "but we believe there is potential in all people, and everyone should have the chance to improve themselves."

"Potential, huh?" the boy muttered, "I don't think everyone has that."

Dinner was quiet after that.

Satomi and her little brother Isamu were the last to leave.

"We know you don't have anything to do with Battousai, but our parents are worried." Satomi explained over Isamu's sniffles. "I'm so sorry, Kamiya-sensei." She handed Kaoru a beautifully wrapped box before bowing sadly and leading her crying brother out of the compound.

Kaoru didn't know how long she sat on the porch with the box in her lap, her eyes dry while her soul wept.

At some point past sunset, she wandered into the dojo, years of discipline moving her muscles to kneel in front of the principles. She ignored the last few placards that would have to removed and concentrated on what would come next.

Through a haze, she heard Yahiko enter the gate and call for her. She didn't answer, but he found her anyway, stomping through the door she forgot to shut.

"What's wrong with you?" the boy asked, crouching down next to her.

"Nothing," she responded flatly, her eyes focused on the scroll in front of her.

"Bullshit. What happened? Did no one come-" he started.

"No," she cut him off, "no one is coming. It's just me."

 _It's just me_. The spoken words gained weight as they echoed in the empty hall, threatening to crush her. But she was Kamiya Kaoru, assistant master of her family's style, and refused to be crushed. She rose swiftly, startling the boy next to her.

"I have to stop him." she said, determination strengthening her stance.

Yahiko gaped at her. "What, stop who? Battousai?"

"Yes. He cannot go on dishonoring my family like this. I won't let him." She moved to the display holding the wooden swords. The boy shot to his feet.

"Hey, what are you doing? That's a killer on the loose! You're gonna get yourself killed, you idiot!"

"What do you care? Then you can steal my vegetables without any guilt!" Kaoru snapped.

The boy sputtered. "Well, you can't go alone!"

He ran ahead of her and pulled down the lowest wood sword. "Woah," he grunted, "heavier than I thought."

"That's because you don't start with that sword, you start with this." She grabbed the bamboo sword form the rack and removed the cover, ignoring the ache brought on by the displaced dust. Presenting the weapon to Yahiko, she felt a small leap in her chest as he traded the heavier sword for it. He hesitated before grasping the hilt with both hands and sliding into a position.

"Your grip is good, but widen your stance a bit. Move your left foot back, and pick up your heel." Kaoru said, slipping into instructor routine. "Now raise the sword above your head. Strike firmly downward with shifting your right foot forward. Most importantly, call 'head!' as you attack."

To her great surprise, the boy did as she instructed, issuing a solid strike to the space in front of him as his cry vibrated through the hall. The empty hall.

"Good," Kaoru cleared her throat, "practice that form 500 times. I'll be back in a few hours."

She moved to leave, but the boy had other plans.

"Don't be an idiot!" Yahiko yelled, striking at her with his sword. She easily sidestepped his clumsy advance and twisted away to avoid a backhanded swing. As he growled and passed her a second time, she delivered a firm strike to his shoulder that brought him to his knees but, she noted, did not make him drop the weapon.

"Stupid, ugly moron!" he growled, struggling to his feet, "You're just one girl, you can't win against him!"

"And you're just a bratty kid with no training!" she yelled back, "I have to do this! There's no one else!" As she spoke, the reality of the last months fell on her heart. The master was gone. The name-cards on the wall meant nothing. She was the last one, the only one still standing to defend her family's school. "There's no one else-"

"Then teach me!" Yahiko screamed.

Kaoru turned her head to stare at the boy. His hands were clenched and his body shook, but he held her gaze with fierce determination.

"Teach me," he repeated and straightened his spine, "I'll be a thousand times better than those rats who left."

Kaoru crossed her arms, bewildered. "Why? Why do you want to learn?"

"Because you can't do this by yourself!" he said angrily, waving his sword. "Because I want to be strong! Because I am Tokyo samurai!" He pointed the sword at her heart, as if daring her to contradict his words. "So teach me! Or was all that talk for nothing?"

 _Teach me._ Words she hadn't heard or said in a long time. Such declarations were usually made with a humble plea and a bowed head, not with a proud heart and heated glare.

"You have potential, but you lack discipline," Kaoru said, moving to hang her sword on the rack, "you can weed the garden first thing in the morning."

"What?!" Yahiko cried, "why?"

"Because it needs to be weeded, brat. Because a bit of physical labor won't kill you." She ruffled his hair as she passed by him, "And because your teacher told you to."

The boy grumbled and shoved her hand away. "Whatever… So, are you still gonna go out?"

Kaoru sensed the unease under the casual tone to his question. Her drive hadn't diminished, and she couldn't let Battousai continue murdering at will, but she wouldn't let a student go without a teacher.

"Someone has to stop him, but no, not tonight. Someone might steal my vegetables."

She didn't fail to notice the smile he tried to hide and didn't fight the the one blooming on her own face.

* * *

 _Here's a timeline I cobbled together for this live-action fic:_

 _1877_

 _Aug. - Koshijiro leaves for Seinan Wars_

 _Sept. - Koshijiro killed in battle_

 _Dec. -_ _ _Kaoru meets Yahiko__

 _1878_

 _Jan. -_ _False Battousai starts killing in the name of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu_

 _Mar. - Yahiko agrees to Kaoru's terms_

 _May - Kenshin wanders into Tokyo with the plot_


	4. A Lesson in Semantics

_Sometimes it takes me three literal years to write, and sometimes I can do it in half an hour. Why._

* * *

 **"A Lesson in Semantics" [Kaoru/Kenshin, canon] [written for RK Week 2015]**

"Oro?"

It was the first word he said to her. Actually, the first several, since her angry charge at him left little time to respond to her any other way.

A nonsense word is an odd first impression to make.

It wasn't the oddest thing about him (the redheaded, scarred, patched, haunted, smiling, backwards-sword swordsman with outdated vocabulary and an affinity for cleaning). When she asked about the meaning, he simply repeated it and shrugged. "A habit" was all she could coax out of him.

So she took the 'oro' as part-and-parcel to the strange man she welcomed into her home and tried, really tried, not to wince when he offered the stupid word as answers to her questions.

 _What happened to my ribbon, Kenshin?_

 _Why isn't dinner ready yet, Kenshin?_

 _Is that all you have to say, Kenshin?!_

"Oro?"

It bothered her more when she meant the questions to be serious. But after a while, she began to understand everything he wasn't saying.

He used it as a placeholder, to fill the silence,

When he was confused, or overwhelmed,

When he did his best to appear as non-threatening as possible,

When he understood the question, but couldn't bring himself to answer.

 _Why is my dojo empty, Kenshin?_

 _Who were those people, Kenshin?_

 _Are you alright, Kenshin?_

"Oro?"

 **I don't want to worry you.**

 **I'm not telling you.**

 **No, I'm not.**

She became so used to hearing it that after that warm May night, its absence only further crippled her. That one little word that meant so little, held so much meaning.

Even after picking herself up and chasing him across the country, it took almost a dozen battles, a few explosions, and several breathless weeks for the ridiculous word to make an appearance again.

It was, in her opinion, the best reason to celebrate.

She expected to hear it every day for the rest of her life. When the past caught up with him, it latched onto her and dragged her away. For days as she paced waiting, she was afraid this incident would finally crush him. That her redheaded, scarred, patched, haunted, smiling swordsman wouldn't smile anymore and she'd never hear it again.

So when he fell into her arms on the beach, as scarred and patched and haunted and filthy (but still smiling) as she'd ever seen him, he managed to utter that stupid, stupid word and as they clung to each other, she didn't think she'd ever heard anything more beautiful.

"Oro?"

 **I'm so glad you're safe.**

 **I missed you.**

 **I love you.**


	5. Protagonist

_11 sentences about Megumi, some slightly more canon than others._

* * *

 **"Protagonist" [Megumi, family] [written for Women of RuroKen Week 2017]**

1\. Megumi grumbles about money as she unwraps Sano's hand but she traces the thin scar that runs across his palm and knows some debts can never be repaid.

2\. She cheerfully waves goodbye to the Kamiya house as Kenji's wails increase; she loves children, but only if she can give them back later.

3\. When Aoshi proposes digging up the body, Megumi spits the words she's been holding in for over a year: "Go fuck yourself, Shinomori."

4\. "It's only right," the old folks nod, "that the best doctor in Aizu is once again a Takani."

5\. There was no escape plan, no prior thinking, no careful tactics; she simply awoke one spring morning, crept out the side gate, and ran.

6\. "Get out," she says to Oguni's assistants when they come to investigate her muffled sobbing for the third time, "she was _my_ family, and this is _my_ duty."

7\. Megumi often catches Kenshin staring at his hands and rues that she has no balm for what he still sees.

8\. She didn't _mean_ to start a rivalry with Kaoru, there was just something thrilling about being able to tease someone for the first time in almost 10 years.

9\. When the boy's eyes roll back and he begins to convulse, she shuts out all the ugly titles she's gathered (bitch, opium woman, slut, liar) and pulls out the one that matters most: doctor.

10\. 'Threaten my friends again,' she snarls at the government officials, 'and I'll show you how sharp a fox's teeth can be.'

11\. Buried in the medicine chest she almost carelessly left to Kaoru, written in her elegant script, was a simple ohagi recipe (she couldn't resist adding "don't poison your husband" as the final step).


	6. All's Fair in Love and War

_Megumi, Misao & Tae vs. Kaoru & Kenshin's lovelife._ _Enjoy the cavities._

* * *

 **"All's Fair in Love and War" [KenKao, Megumi, Misao, AU, romance] [written for RuroKen Week 2017]**

"Makimachi Misao, if you put one more sugar in that latte, I will personally upend it over your head. You don't need to be bouncing off the walls at 10 in the morning." Kaoru growled into her mug of tea and honey.

Misao grinned and dumped the packet into the steaming froth. "Now now Kaoru, just because you're sexually frustrated doesn't mean you need to that anger out on me."

Kaoru squawked in outrage before Megumi cut in.

"Ladies, please. Kaoru, sugar doesn't lead to hyperactivity; that's simply a defect in Misao's charming personality. Misao, we are here to solve Kaoru's problem, not make fun of it." She paused to take a sip of her coffee. "Though it is obvious you need to jump him, Kamiya."

Misao snorted into her drink while Kaoru fumed.

"You guys called me here," she said, folding her arms, "if you're just going to insult me, I'll leave. I have a report to finish for Psychology tomorrow, not to mention a mountain of paperwork for my new beginners' class students."

Misao licked a layer of foam off her lip. "Hey, I've got homework to do too, but landing you a tumble with Himura Kenshin is way more important."

"I DO NOT-" Kaoru shrieked before stopping herself and hissing, "I do not need to _tumble_ with my housemate. He's a great guy-"

"Who does your laundry and cooks all your meals."

"H-he needs to eat too-"

"Who's adorable with your youngest students."

"Ok-"

"And who's built like a god."

"Yeah but-"

"No 'buts' lady, unless you're talking about Himura's butt. Which is related to my last point."

"Guys, enough! Kenshin doesn't think of me that way! Or any way…"

"He thinks the absolute world of you, Kaoru," Misao frowned, "he'd bend over backwards to make you happy."

"He'd also like to bend you over," Megumi interjected.

"Stop!" Kaoru said in the stern voice she usually reserved for disorderly students, not her closest, obviously deranged friends. "Listen, Kenshin is wonderful, we all agree but he has treated me as simply his landlady and friend since the moment I invited him to stay with me.

"I agree!" a chipper voice said, "That man is delightful but oblivious as a blind ox. I suggest drastic measures."

Kaoru rolled her eyes and lifted the mug to her mouth as the newcomer sat down. "And what pray tell, Tae, did you have in mind?"

"A kidnapping!" Tae replied gleefully as Kaoru choked on her tea. "We could get some of your older students, or Misao's friends to kidnap him."

"Him? Not Kaoru?" Megumi asked, raising a perfect eyebrow.

Tae sighed. "Normally, I'd say yes, but we've all been to Kaoru's tournaments. There's no way Kenshin would believe she got herself kidnapped."

"Especially not after the kenpōI taught her," Misao said smugly, "You'd have to be pretty dumb to try. But what good will kidnapping him do?"

Tae clasped her hands and said "Well, we get him kidnapped, nothing serious, just a little tying up and blindfolding-"

"Kinky," Megumi calmly remarked as Kaoru squeaked.

"And then Kaoru comes in to save the day," Tae pressed on, "bravely saving her man, carrying him off into the sunset, and then Kenshin, eternally grateful, passionately declares his love for you, leading to marriage and fathering your children-"

"Whoa, whoa!" a red-faced Kaoru interrupted her starry-eyed friend. "That's getting a little far ahead! I'd settle for a date!"

"I agree," Megumi said, "Skip the kidnapping and just go for the ropes. It's good foreplay."

Kaoru buried her face in her hands. "You are all horrible friends," she muttered.

"We are the _best_ friends," Misao corrected. Kaoru rolled her eyes and gulped down the last of her tea before standing.

"I have important things to do," she said shouldering her purse.

"Put the redhead on the top of your "To Do" list!" Misao laughed and dodged a swat from Kaoru.

"Like tax forms and lab reports," she retorted, still blushing.

As soon as Kaoru disappeared out the door with a half-hearted wave, the three women leaned towards each other over the small table.

"So what do we do now?" Tae said. Megumi's eyes glittered behind her cup and Misao grinned.

"We put this plan into action," she said, rubbing her hands together. "I wonder if Kenshin's combat training taught him knots?"

* * *

Kaoru sighed as she let the heavy gym bag drop in her foyer. She rotated her shoulder before tossing her phone on a small table. The phone that had been near silent for three days. When one is friends with a sneaky weasel, a conniving fox, and a pesky busybody who are dead set on shoving one into bed with one's adorable tenant, 72 hours of radio silence was worrisome.

And the bad part was, the agonizing, guilt-ridden, shameful part was she knew, _she knew_ , that if she could claim innocence, she would happily go along with whatever half-cocked scheme her so-called friends could come up with to land her in Kenshin's (incredibly fine) arms.

Kaoru groaned and ground her palms into her closed eyes. Yes, okay, she was extremely attracted to Kenshin and probably more than half in love with him. He was polite and kind and seven different kinds of sexy. He looked like sin under those baggy clothes he wore and moved like a force of nature with a sword in his hand. He made her laugh, let her vent about her classes and her students, and looked delectable when he blushed.

And though he'd been kind and generous since their first unfortunate meeting in an alleyway, he'd not shown any romantic interest in her, despite what her 'friends' thought.

He cooked, he cleaned and he welcomed her home every day with a warm meal and a gentle smile. Who wouldn't fall for that? It really wasn't fair.

She frowned and lowered her hands. Where _was_ her standard greeting?

"I'm home!" she called into the dark house. "Kenshin?" When there was no answer, she flipped the nearby light switch. Her frown deepened when it failed to turn on.

She unzipped her bag and pulled out her wooden sword. Something was wrong.

She gripped the weapon and moved cautiously down the dark hallway.

Kenshin rarely went out this late, and was usually waiting after her Wednesday visits at the Maekawa dojo. A sweep of the cold kitchen revealed nothing, with similar results in the sitting room, laundry and bathroom. Kaoru moved from dark room to dark room, sword tight in one hand and a flashlight from a kitchen drawer in the other. Kenshin's bedroom was empty, which left outside, the dojo, and her own room.

What if her friends actually went through with the stupid kidnapping plan? Should she be looking for a ransom note made of cut-out magazine letters (because Misao would go all the way on this)? Would she have to trek across town following some cryptic message delivered by ninja in the moonlight (because again, Misao)? She had been friends with Tae before she met Misao and Megumi and as she opened the door to her bedroom, regretted ever introducing the three of them.

Lost in thought, she missed the thin rope stretched across her bedroom floor. With a strangled gasp, Kaoru fell, sword and flashlight flying from her hands. Instead of meeting with the hard wood floor, something warm and yielding cushioned her descent.

"Umf!" her cushion said, "Mmf Mumfu?"

"Kenshin! Oh my god, are you okay?" Kaoru cried. She struggled to push herself up and gather her bearings. She lay sprawled lengthwise on Kenshin's prone body, who seemed to be conveniently placed right her fall zone. She couldn't see more than vague outlines since her flashlight had rolled under the bed, lost among discarded socks and dusty boxes.

"Mmf," came his response. Kaoru reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Kenshin, what are – oh my god, why are you naked?!" she yelled, snatching her hand back. The sudden movement threatened her balance and she began to tip backwards. Kenshin quickly brought his knees up and stopped her fall.

'Why is Kenshin lying my bedroom floor?' Kaoru thought, her heartbeat frantic. 'And _naked_?' Okay, he wasn't completely naked. She could feel the worn fabric of his boxers as she leaned back against his legs, desperate to put space between her body and his chest. She'd seen that chest, she'd dreamt of that chest. It was smooth and muscled and she'd never admit to ulterior motives by always conveniently being in the hallway after Kenshin finished bathing. That chest was dangerous. And those biceps. And that collarbone. Damnit.

"Mmfm?" the object of her thoughts said as he struggled to raise his torso off the floor.

She carefully felt for his shoulders again, hands shaking on his bare skin as she sat somewhat cradled on his upright body.

Her fingers gently touched his face, then stilled at the cloth over his eyes.

"What…?" she trailed off. A tentative touch at his mouth revealed a smooth strip. He shifted, apparently uncomfortable and she wondered why he hadn't used his hands to help himself…

"… _nothing serious, just a little tying up…"_

'…I'm going to murder all of them.'

"Oh Kenshin, are you okay?" she murmured, tracing the tape's outline. He nodded, his cheeks strangely warm under her fingers. Moving back up to the blindfold, she followed the cloth around his head to the knot.

'Oh gods, his hair is loose. Stay calm, Kamiya, _stay calm_.'

She resisted her long-time fantasy to bury her hands in that thick red mane and settled for smoothing a few tangled strands after quickly undoing the knot.

"Okay, I need to take the tape off. I'm sorry."

Kenshin nodded again and shrugged. That she was still straddling his waist didn't seem to enter into either person's mind.

"I think it might be better if I just rip it off in one go," she said. Kenshin nodded and took a deep breath through his nose as Kaoru scratched a corner off his scarred cheek.

"One two three!" Kaoru said and pulled. Kenshin hissed when the last inch came off.

"Ororo, thank you Ms. Kaoru. Ouch…"

Kaoru crumpled the tape and tossed it to the side. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

Kenshin pursed his lips and opened his mouth a few times. "This one is alright. It's going to sting for a little bit, though. Do you have any mineral oil?"

Kaoru shook her head. "I don't think so. Would anything else help?" Ideally, her next task should have been to undo whatever kept his arms bound behind his back. Without much thought, a hand naturally drifted up to cup his jawline, softly rubbing her thumb over the tingling skin framing his lips.

Kenshin sighed and shifted. "This one is not sure. Perhaps aloe vera, or some ice."

"A kiss?"

Kaoru nearly bit her tongue as the words fell out of her mouth. She froze, her hand stilling on his face. Kenshin was silent. She vaguely felt him swallow as her thoughts furiously berated her.

'Stupid stupid Kamiya! Why the hell would you say that, how's he supposed to respond to that, that's not fair to say to a man tied up on your bedroom floor, for gods' sake, get up and apologize before you make this any-'

"You could try."

Her breath hitched at his response, the dark hid the vivid blush across her cheeks, and she felt him swallow again.

She leaned forward slowly and stopped when their noses brushed. Her thumb gently drifted between his scar and lips, shaking just slightly.

"Can I?" she whispered, terrified of any answer he might give. He responded in a voice breathless as her own.

"Please."

Kaoru gently pressed her lips to his, lingering for a moment before drawing back a few inches.

"Better?" She murmured, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Sitting on the floor of her blacked-out house, straddling her sexy, half-naked tenant, kissing him while he's tied up: a new personal low for Kamiya Kaoru. Well, if this was rock-bottom, she wouldn't mind staying for a while.

Kenshin exhaled shakily. "I think… I think I may need another one."

She couldn't help but giggle softly. If he insisted.

The next kiss has less hesitant and had Kenshin's full participation, to her great delight. It lasted significantly longer and left her more breathless than the first.

"I could get used to this," she said as they rested a moment. Well, she rested. He took the opportunity to dust little kisses across her nose, cheekbones, and eyelids.

"Really? I don't think I ever could," he murmured, moving his mouth back to hers. Humming her approval, she barely noticed a strong set of arms snaking around her waist to hold her flush against him.

'Wait, how did he…?'

"Kenshin," she mumbled, trying desperately to hold onto the thoughts scattering under his warm, roving hands, "I thought you were… how did… Misao…?"

"Our friends thought we needed a little help, and Misao can be very… persuasive," Kenshin said somewhere into the skin under her left ear, "though the ropes are a bit overkill, that they are."

Kaoru laughed and wrapped her arms around his bare torso, giddy with happiness.

"At least you weren't kidnapped by ninja."

* * *

 _Listen, my fanfic consumption consists of about 90% pure fluff. I inhale the sweet stuff and smut like the only candy shop in town is going out of business. I am not ashamed of my diet._

 _But ask me to **write** fluff, I will titter nervously and say what a pity it is that the candy shop is closing, damn I'll miss their ripple fudge bars. I started this thing for WoRKWeek **2015**. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ _

_Please do not rip duct tape off. It will hurt and take skin with it. Only do if you are in safe, compromising positions with adorable redheads._


End file.
